Meter-box.



' W/T/VESSES L. P. ANDREWS. METER BOX. APPLICATION F ILED OCT; 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

' INVENTOH ATTOHNE YS a wrench or other of Missouri,

LEWIS P. ANDREWS, OF SEDALIA, MISSOURI;

mnrnnnox'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, LEWIS P. Annnnws, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sedalia, in the county of lfettis and State have invented a'new and Improved Meter-Box, a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to meter boxes for incasing and protecting water meters. and

formed to fit into an opening provided for p the purpose in the cover..

An object of the invention is to provide-a simple, inexpensive and durable meter box,

which servesas a protection for the meter incased therein, which can be easily opened to permit the meter to be read, the closure of which can be locked securely in place to prevent accidental or unauthorized opening thereof, and which is substantially water tight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box of the class described, which tends to maintain a substantially even temperature about the meter, which may be provided with a heat insulating lining where necessary, and which can be easily drained of moisture should any accidentally enter the casing, the draining means serving at the same time as a conduit to conduct warmer .air from the service mains which are buried at a point beneath the frost line of the ground.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which" I Figure 1" is a longitudinal section showing .an embodiment of my Specification of Lett of which the iollowing is adapted to be er roadways, etc., the top thereof, a I

Y planation "often conveniently .not located in and operable suitable implementtime permits the box easing is in the shape pyramid or a cone and invention buried top and the inside of the neck.

e ment- Patented Feb.- 22, 1910.

Application filed October 26,1902. Serial No. 459,507.

in theground and inclosinga water meter; F1g. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the upper partof'the box, showing the closure for the same and having parts broken away; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the' top ofthe casing, showing the lower end of the plug and-the locking mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a lan view of, the cover showing a part 0 the top of the casing. Be ore proceeding to a more detailed exof my invention, it should be clearly understood thatwater meterssare arranged in meter boxes round at suitable points and buildings. These meter boxes buried in the must have openings provided with suitable closures to permit the meters to be 'read. Frost tends to interfere seriously with the proper operation of a water meter, and it is essential, therefore, that the sameTbe protected from low temperatures. My .metel" box affords such PLOIECUOII and at the same to be opened when necessary, without difficulty, sothat thereadings of the meter can be ascertained.

The box as illustrated, for example, has a casing wlpch is provided with a lining of heat insu felt or the like. with if the meter climate, subject to more orl'ess severe frost.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a casing 10, which may beuof any suitable form and may circular in section. shown for example,

box is used in a warm In the embodiment in the drawings, the of ,a frusturn of a is open at the bottom and has an outwardly extending flange 11. At the upper edge, the casing has a top 12 provided with a downwardly extended flange 13 which engages at the. rim of the casing. In mounting the box in place, an excavation is made in the ground and the casing inverted and placed in the same, resting atthe bottom of the excavation.

The top 12 has a central opening and extending upwardly from the same a neck 14, the edge 15 of which is beveled. Inclined bracing ribs 16 integral with the neck and the top serve to strengthen the parts. The casing has an insulating lining 17-and this lining is extended-to the under side of the It consists ating material such as asbestos,

This lining can be dispensed he angular .'or

the flange 11 v and it is only necessary in localities the opening inthe of any suitable material suchas asbestos, felt. fiber or the like.

The meter 18 is encompassed by the casing and has the'.dial l9 upwardly disposed so that it can be viewed through the neck and top. The meter is of any suitable type and is connected with the service main by pipes 20 in the usual'manner.

'A conduit 21 extends upwardly through the ground from the service main and terminates near the bottom of the casing, hav ingva perforated cap or grating 22. The conduit 21 serves to conduct Warm air from the neighborhood of the mains to the interior "of the casing in cold Weather, as the mains 'are buried below the frost line and the earth surrounding them is, of course, at a higher edge 15 of the neck.

temperature than that surrounding the easing itself. The conduit 21 sometimes serves as a drain to eliminate moisture which may collect within the casing.

"I I prefer to employ a wooden plug 23 for ug is so shaped 25 of which is beveled to fit evenly upon the At the lower end the plug has a plate 26 under which is movably arranged amember 27 having pivoted at I. ably through uides '2 each end a'b olt 28. V The bolts extend mov- 9 and areadapted to project lateral y beyond the plate to engage ug has atthe under side of the top. The pl which an openinglongitudinally thereof in 11s arrangeda sleeve 30. A lock bolt 31 extendsthrough the sleeve and has a part 32 of angular section passing through the plate *in the} member 27. The

an engaging an opening ofsimilar form, I pro eet1ng extremlty of the lock bolt is threadcd 'and 'CZIII'IGS a nut 33 by means ofwhich the member 27, is -secured thereto.

At the u per end the lock bolt has a head 34 of angu ar form which is arranged in an. under-cut recess or key-hole 35 of-the cover.

provided with "lugs"38 These lugs are adapted tofitin the under-cut parts of the permitt helugs to pass into the key hole. A recessw in the key is formed to receive the head of the lock body to permit the same to be turned. By turning the lock bolt in one direction the member 27 is actuated to with draw the bolts, as is shown most clearly in dotted outline in Fig. 3.,By reversing the operation, the bolts can be operated to en-' gage at the under side of the top to hold the closure seciu'ely in place. At the upper end, the key is preferably provided with a crossbar 41, one end of which is bent and sharpened so that it can beemployed to remove dirt orthe like from the key-hole so that the I prefer to employ a key 36 having the lower end 37 extended and claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent: w 1. A meter box, compris ng a casing having an opening in the top, thereof and a neck r at said opening, said neck extending to the surface of the ground,a plug substantially fillingsaid neck and having a cover fitting atthetop of said neck, and locking mechanism at the lower end of said plug and adapted to. engage under said neck to hold said extending upwardly from said opening, a

plug removably mounted in said neck and having a cover adapted to engage at the rim of said neck, locking mechanism at the lower end of said plug and having a part adapted r to be rojected to engage at the under side I of saic top, and means for operating said locking mechanism to control the same from the outside of said cover. 3. A meter box, comprising a casing having a top provided With an opening therethrough, a neckextending through said top and extending upwardly from said opening, a plug removably mounted in said neck and having a cover adapted to engage at the rim of said neck, a plate at the lower end of said plug, a member movably arranged under said plate and having bolts, means for'guiding-said bolts on said plate, and a locking bolt extending through said plug and controlling. said member, said cover having a recess, said'bolt having a head within said recess and adapted to be engaged by a key formed to enter said recess.

4. A meter box, comprising a casing having a top provided with an opening therethrough, a neck extending upwardly from said opening and having a'beveled rim, a plug adapted to be removably mounted in said neck and carrying a cover having the edge to fit upon said beveled rim, carrying a plate at the. lower end thereof, a member movable under said plate, and lock:

ing bolts carried by said member, said plate hole which is provided with slots 39 which having means for guiding said bolts, said said plug P cover having an under-cut recess, a lock bolt extending longitudinally through said plug and controlling having a head wlthin said recess and adapt ed. to be engaged by a key tormed to enter operated from the outside of said cover.

5. The combination with a meter box adapted tobe buried in'the earth and comprising a casing having an open bottom, a

closure at the top of said casing, and means for operating said closure to lock and unlock the same from the outside of said casing, of

a-cond'uit having an open end arranged under said open bottom of said caslng and said member, saidlock bolt said recess, whereby said member can be 2 adapted to conductivarm air from the neighborhemlof the service main, to the meter said under-cut recess, and being provided box and to drain the meter box d maisture. with an opening forme-fii iew/ fficfii ie said head; 6. The combination, with a meaer lwx 01? said bnlt whereby theame can-10a can having a neck, a removable plug in saicl neck trolled by said key. 5 and provlclecl-Wlth a. cover, Saul coverhavln sestimony whereof I haw signed; my ing an under-cut recess preseniing slots, name to this specificatizm intlm ressman locking mechanism carricl by said plug at two subscribing witnesses I the lower end thereuf, and a lacking bolt v LEW 513 PQANDREWSQ; controlling saiclmechanism and having al Witnesses: v 10 head in said remiss, of a lmy having lugs Eula L. @A'vm adapged to pass thmugh said slots; is antea- DAM N MLEAY, 

